President writes Senate seeking amendment to PIA provision on NNPC Board

Oredola Adeola

President Muhammadu Buhari has written to the National Assembly seeking an amendment to the recently signed Petroleum Industry Act, PIA. This was disclosed in the letter read on Tuesday during plenary by the President of the Senate, Senator Ahmad Lawan.

In the letter addressed to the Senate, President Buhari wants an amendment to the new Act to allow for the removal of the Ministers of Petroleum and Finance from the Board of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, saying they can continue to perform their functions without necessarily being members of the Board.

The President is also asking the Senate to amend the PIA provision to allow the Non-Executive Members to be increased from two to six to reflect the six geopolitical zones.

The President had on Sunday , acting on the power vested in him under Section 59(2) of the PIA 2021, approved the appointment of the Board and Management of the NNPC Limited, with effect from the date of incorporation of the Company.

Chairman of the Board is Senator Ifeanyi Ararume, while Mele Kolo Kyari and Umar I. Ajiya are Chief Executive Officer, and Chief Financial Officer, respectively.
Other Board Members are; Dr Tajudeen Umar (North East), Mrs Lami O. Ahmed (North Central), Mallam Mohammed Lawal (North West), Senator Margaret Chuba Okadigbo (South East), Barrister Constance Harry Marshal (South South), and Chief Pius Akinyelure (South West).